More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)

Fred Karno

(1866–1941)Impresario who in the early years of the 20C toured companies performing slapstick comedy. Both Charlie *Chaplin and Stan *Laurel first visited the USA in his shows. 'We are Fred Karno's army' was a self-deprecating song popular with the British infantry in the shambles of World War I. Even so, the lyric predicted that when they got to Berlin the kaiser would say 'Hoch, hoch, mein Gott, Vot a bloody fine lot'.